Military organizations typically promulgate rules and regulations, hereinafter referred to as rules, relating to positioning accoutrements such as insignia on military uniforms. The rules usually require relatively exact positioning of the insignia. For example, the letters "U.S." worn on the collar of the uniform of an U.S. Army officer are currently required by the rules (1) to be positioned 5/8 inch above the vertex of an acute angle formed by the collar and the uniform lapel, (2) to be centered and positioned on a center line passing through the vertex of the acute angle, and (3) to be positioned with the center line being parallel to the uniform neckline. Further, the rules require symmetry of insignia position as between the left and the right collars and lapels. It is no wonder that military personnel have found great difficulty in complying with the rules. It is also no wonder that alternatives are known for assisting personnel in complying with the rules.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,387,986; entitled "Insignia Positioning Device" and issued Oct. 30, 1945; discloses a flat, plastic, transparent, rectangular device with rectangular openings for inserting insignia therethrough and with line graduations marked thereon for ruler-like measuring and aligning the openings in accord with the promulgated positioning rules. When an opening is positioned, the insignia may be inserted through the opening for attaching the insignia to the uniform. The device may thereafter be lifted over the insignia without disturbing the attached and positioned insignia.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,376,651; entitled "Insignia Positioning Device" and issued Apr. 9, 1968; discloses a device having a channel-shaped, clip-on neckline edge for removably securing the device in position on a uniform. The device has upper and lower edges perpendicular to the neckline edge and between which edges there is a slot parallel to the edges. A carrier is longitudinally slidable in the slot. A positioning stud protrudes downward from the carrier and below the device, while a centering arm is mounted on the carrier and above the device. The stud is positioned in the vertex of the acute angle and the clip-on edge is secured to the uniform neckline. The upper and lower insignia are positioned resting against the upper and lower edges of the device and centered using the centering arm, which is pivotally and slidably mounted on the carrier.
Still a search continues for an easily operated and inexpensive template for accurately positioning uniform insignia.